Help! Sick bird outside our door and I dont know what to do

[Sidebeforeself]

I want to be kind but not sure how I can help. There’s a pigeon that it huddled in the corner of our front door and wall. It’s obviously very ill and seems to be breathing fast. It’s been there for hours now.

RSPCA advice is just to take to vets but I have a bit of a bird phobia and no way can I pick it up. Ive no transport either . Local wildlife centre is closed for weekend. Even if I did get it to a vet would I have to pay ? And then what - I dont want to be saddled with it

Any advice please?

Can a neighbour or friend put it in a box, you wouldn't be asked to pay any vet bill.

You won't be charged for wildlife .

If you cannot pick it up could you put a box or something there for it ? Not to trap it but in case it wants shelter .

Maybe water ?

Does it have a ring on its leg ? Like a Racing Pigeon if you can see this ?

When I called the RSPCA about 3 ducklings in my garden, they suggested to leave them there and let nature take its course! It was Easter weekend and all wildlife places were shut, so we ended up hand raising them.

If you or someone else does pick it up, please use gloves. It might have birdflu! Do you have relative, friend or neighbour who can put it in a box? Have you googled any pigeon/bird rescues nearby?

Can you post a photo, or can you estimate how old it is - adult or young? Is it a regular pigeon or wood pigeon?

Contact the Pigeon Rescue Team via Facebook. Even if you are not local then they should be able to direct you to someone nearer. RSPCA utterly useless in my experience. Good luck

Don't touch it in case of avian flu.

A vet will humanely dispatch it but almost certainly won't treat it.

A vet will only put to sleep. Do you have a local facebook page to ask for help? I found a lady 30 minutes from me that rehabs injured wildlife. She nursed Patrick the pigeon back to health and I went and picked him up and returned him to the tree in my back garden.

Can you give your area op? A mner could help...

Thanks everyone. Yes Ive done a google but all answers seem to be take it to a vets. Never heard of Pigeon Rescue but I’ll try them.

Yes it’s an ordinary adult pigeon. DH might deal with it but he’s not back for ages and vets will be shut

That’s not true- they will treat it depending on where you are in the country.

Vets won’t want to deal with wild birds even though they have a duty to prevent any animal from being in pain.
When I found a sick wood pigeon in my garden, local vets refused to have it. I caught it by gently throwing a blanket on it and I then took it to a wildlife sanctuary. [he had canker, v common in pigeons, making it unable to eat, drink and breathe as their throat fills up with a growth].

They called me to pick it up a few weeks later so I could release it back in my garden.

What you can do:

• ask a neighbour to catch it for you (using the blanket method)
• can you or a neighbour keep it over the weekend and take it to the wildlife centre on Monday morning? Or if you don’t have transport, some wildlife centres do pick-ups.
• are you sure all the wildlife centres in the area are closed? They have live animals which need to be fed every day so there are usually staff there every day

I would leave it where it is and let nature take it's course. You might think it's kind picking it up and putting it in a box to take to the vet but the bird will likely be terrified (and die anyway).

Trust me Im frantically Googling but cant find anything locally. I really cannot keep it till Monday. All this googling is not helping my bird phobia ! That Facebook group seems to be private ?

I think Im just going to have to leave it till DH gets back but I dont think he’ll be able to do anything tonight. It’s in a really awkward place to put a box over it too.

Ive found a rescue place but it’s only contactable via email so we’ll see.

If you are on nextdoor.com, ask in your area for help. I see posts like this all the time.

They said the same to me when I found 4 teeny kittens (4/5 weeks) I called cat rescues locally too and they told me can I just feed them as they are too full but I couldn’t catch them even . It was awful

Er … kill it with a spade? Most humane thing to do is put it out of its misery. Pigeons are flying vermin that spread disease and their shit destroys buildings.

We had one like that, it sat on the top of our side gate and looked miserable. I just left it in peace and it stayed all afternoon and through the night, but left in the morning. (I didn't see it go so for all I know a sparrowhawk got it...)

I would just leave it rather than trying to get it in a box, etc. You don't need to do anything.

Wood pigeons are vermin. Don't encourage them.

If I’m bird phobic do you really think I can bring myself to kill it?!

post on your local Facebook page asking for help, there may be local wildlife rehabilitators on there as there usually are some who work from home

How did you get on OP? What happened to the bird?

Hi. We decided to leave it and it was gone this morning. I dont know if thats a good or bad thing 😥.Never heard back from the pigeon rescue place either.

Some cat or fox probably took it off your hands , if it was ill it wouldn't struggle so no blood or feathers .